Stupefied
by Lady Flick
Summary: It had been the better part of four years since he'd seen her, so when he returned to Konoha, he saw a young woman several inches taller, snarkier, and wiser than the Sakura he remembered. Also – breasts. Wow. KAKSAK AU.
1. Adjustment

**author's note:**

Um, so I'm alive. I have pretty much zero inspiration/motivation right now. This is helping me escape the frustration of life at the moment, and these two have been on my mind for quite awhile now. This is AU and is placed (timeline wise) after Sasuke leaves again and before the prologue of canon pairings. Certain events from the manga are either not addressed or didn't happen because this is really not heavily reliant on canon plot. It is a fic devoted to Kakashi and Sakura for the sheer guilty pleasure of it, and as of right now, is rated T for language because of the innocence of their initial relationship. I haven't yet decided if the rating will become anything more serious. Er...yeah. Hope you enjoy :) _Lady Flick_

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**STUPEFIED**

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**Chapter 1**

**Adjustment**

The familiar gates of Konoha greeted him and the Copy-Nin reflected on the utter sensation of relief that always floods through him every time he manages to barely return home. Four long years kept him away from his sanctuary, though the aforementioned relief often lingers only until grief and guilt subdue it. Nevertheless, he was on an extended assignment that kept him away and he was more than happy to finally return. One step, two steps, and then he collapsed at the threshold. Distant footsteps was all he heard before darkness ensconced his already bleary vision.

.

.

"You idiot."

He knew that voice. It was hardened by life, riddled with exasperation for the foolish and a wisdom that only comes with living for decades.

"I know you're awake, brat," the voice snarled. Even so, Kakashi knew affection when it presented itself. "Somehow you made it back with sheer dumb luck," the woman went on, quite aware that the silver-haired man was conscious. A jab at his arm followed her words. "Goddammit, Hatake, acknowledge your Hokage!"

The Copy-Nin would have chuckled if the motion didn't send a fresh stab of pain up his side. His eyes opened feebly and blinked at the bright hospital lights. The Sharingan was expertly bandaged, but the pulsing pain in his socket spoke volumes of its deteriorating state. A clearing throat drew his attention to the very petulant blonde that stood at his bed-side, hands at the swell of her hips. He smiled, though it was hidden beneath his mask.

"You were supposed to return three years ago – idiot!" Tsunade admonished, looking none too pleased. "You're _late_."

At that, he did chuckle, though it turned quickly into a groan. "I...got lost on the road of life," he supplied with a careless grin.

Tsunade chose to ignore it. "Now you're too broken and pathetic to become the Rokudaime. I was really looking forward to retiring immediately, you know."

"Isn't Naruto still a viable option?" Kakashi supplied, allowing his good eye to drift closed. The hum of the light fixture above him was both soothing and unnerving at the same time. Was that apples he smelled?

The Godaime snorted, crossing her terrifyingly strong arms over her chest. "Yeah, when he's older and wiser – maybe when he's closer to 40. Like you."

Kakashi peered at her through his good eye. "I'm a very young and wily mid thirty-year-old."

Tsunade scoffed. "You're lucky you're alive. Saving you nearly cost me my best apprentice." He must have appeared alarmed, because the woman sighed. "Relax. She's fine. Which is more than I can say for you – what the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded as the patient gingerly sat up on his cot, flicking the wires attached to his chest.

"I might lack in punctuality but not manners. I need to thank her. And then scold her for doing something so dumb," Kakashi said simply, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. "Where is she?"

Perhaps he was a difficult patient to deal with even in his state of unconsciousness, because Tsunade just rolled her eyes and muttered something that sounded like "why bother" before leaving the silver-haired man to his own devices.

A part of him was grateful she didn't try to convince (or order) him to stay in bed, but the more rational side wished she had. What the hell was he thinking? He couldn't even inch off the bed without wincing. On top of that – he had _no_ idea where the medic might be. Was she working? Was she at home? Training? It occurred to him that he was being an idiot and that she would likely just come to him for a check up. So instead, he eased back into bed and busied himself with eating the neatly sliced apples at his side-table.

Sakura would check on him soon.

.

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The hours passed and Kakashi awoke from a rather deep slumber, very much alone but feeling much better. He wondered if Sakura stopped by. His only clue was more sliced apples on the previously empty plate at his bed side.

.

.

Three days later he was dismissed from the hospital, mostly because he kept trying to leave on his own accord and the staff were much too busy to keep tabs on the insufferable Jounin. At this point, he had seen much of Genma, Naruto, and Kurenai, but none of the elusive medic. What the hell? It shouldn't have bothered him, and so he did his best to shrug it off. Even so, it was a bit disappointing. He didn't linger on the deflating feeling it gave him, and instead wandered down the cobblestone street towards his home.

People openly gaped at him, at which he lifted a cheerful hand and offered a friendly, "Yo."

"What do you think you're doing?" Ah-ha!

He peered over his shoulder to see a head of pink bound towards him. "Saku-" the expression on her face told him to shut up, and he did so.

"What do you think you're doing?" She repeated, "You're supposed to be in the hospital for a week at the _least_!"

Before he could respond that he appreciates her concern but he's a grown-ass man who can take care of himself, thank-you-very-much, she continued.

"And you could have at least changed into some proper clothes before leaving, idiot."

Kakashi blinked. Ah, yes. Hospital gown. "I thought it was quite brisk out," he noted mildly, prompting the young medic to shake her head. He smiled then. "It's good to see you, Sakura."

She stared at him much in the manner of a parent reprimanding a child, before taking two steps to close the distance between them and fitting her arms around his torso. "It's good to see you, too."

When they parted, the woman hastily wiped at the tears dotting the edges of her eyes. "You are the most insufferably stubborn shinobi I know," she declared. "You almost _died_."

He only offered a dismissive shrug. "_You_ almost died."

"Saving you," she quipped, narrowing her eyes – had they always been such a bright green? There was something in her gaze he couldn't quite deem as familiar to the Sakura he knew. "Here's your pants, you can at least stop flashing all of Konoha and giving all the civilian women nosebleeds."

Was that a compliment?

Kakashi gave her an amused look, before grabbing the proffered clothing and, with her help, tugging the sweat pants over his legs. "Hospital gowns are so mundane. You'd think a bare ass wouldn't shock people these days," he declared.

Sakura laughed – how delicate – and gave the man a look that he had never seen on her before. Coy? "Civilians will never be accustomed to such toned and firm shinobi features," she responded, arching a brow in amusement. "Now come on, old man. We should get you home."

Did she just call his ass firm?

"I'm not old," he grumbled, earning another laugh from the young woman. Sakura hooked her arm through his; the motion was so natural for her, he wondered when she felt close enough to do something like that. He imagined she was that close with Naruto, but not with her former sensei. Or was that simply something that came with growing up and saving lives?

"Whatever," the medic responded, waving a hand.

Their walk was peaceful enough, though he was getting the sensation that Sakura was walking him home in the same manner that she would escort an elderly patient to his cot. This bothered Kakashi, but he didn't mention it – besides, it was nice having her to support his weight. They moved at a snail's pace, but Sakura didn't seem to mind, and if she did, he couldn't tell. Not from the smile on her lips – (They seemed pinker than he recalled.) – or the glint in her eyes – (Seriously, had they always been so _green?) – _or the way she tilted her head back to laugh openly into the air.

"So, doctor, huh?" Kakashi asked, eyeing her white coat.

Sakura grinned; it was an expression that was so unfamiliar, Kakashi found himself staring at her mouth in curiosity. She didn't notice. "I suppose I'm a full-fledged doctor now, if that's what this coat means. But I refer to myself as a medic. I'm not in it for the title," she paused. "Though Doctor Haruno sounds rather nice, doesn't it?"

Kakashi agreed.

They reached his home and Sakura released his arm, offering a warm smile that was just so _Sakura_ that the man couldn't help but return it. "Welcome home, Kakashi," she said.

Something made the man pause, before nodding his head and thanking the medic for her company and help. It wasn't until he entered his apartment, shut the door, and the young woman was long gone did the Copy-Nin realize what felt so strange: Sakura didn't refer to him as her sensei.

A bemused smile stretched across his lips.

Four years was a long time.

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Over the next few days, Kakashi found himself recovering rather quickly, particularly due to the nurses sent from the hospital to check up on him. He wondered why Sakura wasn't the one showing up at his door, but he supposed she was busy – saving lives and all. On the fifth day, however, he brought this up to the nurse attending to the gash at his side.

The dark haired woman only blinked in mild surprise, before continuing to ring out the towel she had just dunked into a bowl of water. "I'm fairly certain Haruno-senpai is on a mission," she answered absently, "I'll tell her you asked for her."

Kakashi shrugged, "No need."

Nevertheless, that very evening Sakura arrived at his doorstep with an excited Naruto, ready to gush about the mission they had just accomplished over a bottle of sake.

"Are you guys even _allowed_ to drink?" Kakashi asked, unable to hide the skepticism in his tone.

Naruto was the one who took offense. "You've been gone four years old-man! A lot has changed since then! Did you notice I'm as tall as you, now?" To demonstrate this, the blond straightened up to full height.

Kakashi certainly noticed that they were of nearly equal stature.

"I think Kakashi is a little taller, still," Sakura said with a smirk meant entirely to tease her dear friend. Would he ever get used to her referring to him without his former title? It was disconcerting. As if he hopped into a time machine and went straight into the future. She lifted the bottle of cold sake and eyed the two men. "Well?"

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Three hours later found the trio sitting in Kakashi's living room, eight bottles deep.

"And then Sakura-chan, did this thing that was so funny—what was it Sakura-chan?" Naruto leaned heavily on his side, eyes half-open as he prompted the woman to recall her hilarious encounter with a rather handsy Genma.

Sakura laughed at the memory, nearly snorting. "Oh, _Genma_," she shook her head, hand at her forehead. "I forgot about that night! It was my eighteenth birthday," she began, fixing her dazed eyes on the head of silver watching her in amusement. "He challenged me to a drinking match," the medic chuckled, tilting her head back to laugh because this memory was _just so funny_. "And he...he must have not realized that I could," she paused, searching for words, "metabolize the alcohol from my system. It was hilarious. He got so drunk."

Naruto laughed so hard he tumbled onto his side on the carpeted floor, just missing the empty stack of ramen bowls near his head. "He...he leaned over the bar and tossed chunks! He was banned for an entire year!" There were tears on the corner of his eyes. "A _year!_"

Despite the sake clouding his mind, Kakashi did the math. "Your eighteenth? Wasn't I here for that?" he recalled distantly. That was precisely four years ago, he distinctly remembered her inviting him out for her birthday.

Sakura smiled, it was soft and nostalgic. "You were busy," she said lightly, before pouring herself another shot of cool sake. Before bringing it to her lips, she lifted it to him, "but we're having that drink you owed me now, aren't we? Took you long enough." There it was again, the smirk, the coy look in her eyes.

Kakashi poured himself another cup as well. "And knowing Genma, you guys made a bet, didn't you?"

The usually professional medic nodded. "He wanted a kiss."

"Good thing you won," the Copy-Nin said.

"Oh, I still kissed him," Sakura added frankly. "How could I not? It's _Genma_." Naruto's snore drew her gaze to the sleeping blond and she missed the utter look of shock in her former sensei's single good eye. "He's out like a light. I'm sorry, Kakashi, we weren't supposed to be here so long. We should go." She moved to wake Naruto, but the older man caught her elbow. She watched him as he searched for what he wanted to say.

"Stay. It's nice to have some company once in awhile. Let the idiot sleep."

Sakura regarded him a moment longer, before easing back to her seat on the ground and grinned. "So are you going to stare at me all night or pour me more sake?"

Kakashi decided that he quite preferred this older Sakura.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, while she told him about her studies and progress, he entertained the idea of what her lips might feel like.

.

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When morning hit, so did their awful, dumb, decision to drink until dawn. Naruto grumbled something unintelligible as he sat up, cracking his back. "Geez, you'd think with all the money that old geezer gets from all his missions, he'd invest in softer carpet."

"I'm right here, you know," came Kakashi's voice from the ground. He wondered when the last time he drank so heavily was. They must have knocked down at least eight large sake bottles on their own, which was nothing compared to what he's seen Genma toss back, but he was no spring chicken anymore. His limbs told him as much as he attempted to sit up. A groan escaped from his parched mouth. To his surprise, a glass of water was presented before him.

Sakura was up, looking too put together and wearing a much too cheerful smile that made him hate life. "You should drink water," she instructed, still holding the glass.

Kakashi took it and quenched his thirst. Only after he upended the glass did he acknowledge her obviously well-rested state. "How-?"

"Chakra metabolism and what-not," she answered with a wave of her hand. "I'll get you more water." She disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Kakashi to stare glumly at the ground for his poor decisions.

"I hate her, too," Naruto grumbled, shielding his eyes from the sunshine. "She always suggest to go drinking and then just avoids the hangover the next day. What kind of bonding is that?"

To her credit, Sakura returned with a tray of scrambled eggs, toast, and freshly brewed coffee.

Naruto's eyes brightened. "You're the best, Sakura-chan!"

She scowled at him. "I distinctly remember you saying that you hate me."

He pouted, "You know I was joking!"

"Damn right," the woman muttered, setting the tray before the ravenous men. "I have to go to work. Try not to die of dehydration, OK?"

"Bye, Sakura-chan!" Naruto sang as she made to leave.

Before she could open the door, however, a quick hand beat her to it. She spun to find the host standing behind her, good eye crinkled with a polite smile. "Have a good day, Sakura," Kakashi said, "Thank you for breakfast."

The medic nodded. "Anytime. That was fun."

As she left, Kakashi couldn't help but agree. That _was_ fun.

.

.

"Were my eyes playing tricks on me, or did I spy a mop of rather messy pink hair leave your apartment this morning?"

Kakashi didn't have to lower his beloved book to acknowledge the man who approached. He merely flipped to the next page. "You did," he said simply, wondering just what Genma might think of it.

"Back a week and already you convince that vixen to come home with you?" A laugh. "And here I thought you might've lost your touch being on a solo mission all these years!"

The Copy-Nin couldn't keep the smile from spreading beneath his mask and he glanced up at his friend. "Since when is Sakura synonymous with _vixen,_" he dared to ask.

Genma sat by his long-time comrade, senbon balanced expertly between his lips as he leaned back onto his elbows, watching the clouds drift by above. "Since the Christmas party four years ago," he laughed, recalling some hilarious memory Kakashi was not privy to.

"And what happened at the Christmas party four years ago?" Kakashi asked, containing his interest.

Genma shrugged. "Just the usual stuff," he answered, looking over at his friend. "_You've_ been to those Jounin parties. You know how crazy they can be."

That got the silver-haired man's attention. "Jounin party?"

"She didn't tell you? That former student of yours is a Jounin now!" Genma chuckled, "She's grown, Hatake. She's a woman now. Don't tell me you haven't noticed. She was over your place, and I'm assuming it wasn't for tea."

Kakashi ignored the suggestive tone in his counterpart's voice and returned his attention to the novel at hand. "No, it was for sake."

Let Genma take that however he wished.

"I've got to go meet with the Hokage."

With that said, Kakashi disappeared.

Of course, he didn't _really_ have a meeting with Tsunade, but he couldn't quite wrap his head around the facts that:

1) Sakura was a _vixen_ – what the hell did that mean anyways? Not that he was unaware of the type of woman Genma constituted as vixens, but why was Sakura one? What happened?

And 2) She was Jounin, now! A _Jounin_. Why hadn't she mentioned that? She had been a Jounin for four years! Did it happen before he left? Why wouldn't she tell him?

They were equals.

Somehow, that was slightly disconcerting.

Up until he left, the Copy-nin had always regarded Sakura with the affection an uncle might have for a niece. He recognized her growth, her strength, her abilities, and respected her for them. Certainly, he knew she'd grow up, as well, likely in grace, but he never entertained the idea that he might be so confused in his view of her. He was fourteen years her senior!

But_ Genma_ had kissed her, and Genma was older than him.

Kakashi had no idea what to make of this information and decided not to dwell on it further lest he go crazy. Perhaps it was time to take on another mission to just avoid this awkward situation.

By nightfall, he decided it was safe to leave the heavy canopy of Konoha forest and make his way home. Usually his shinobi instincts were on the mark, but if he had left five minutes earlier or five minutes later, he would not have bumped right into Genma, Hayate, and Anko on their way to the bar. With some needling and rather forceful displays of affection from Anko, they convinced the Copy-Nin to tag along.

Perhaps he needed to reminisce about old times with old friends and not former students? Maybe then things would be right with the world and Sakura would not be a vixen and he wouldn't wonder at the softness of her lips.

They walked into the bar, the silver-haired man in tow, and claimed their usual table. Kakashi's stool was particularly wobbly, just as he remembered it.

"So, Hatake, what have you been up to?" Anko queried over her beer. "It's been so damn long. It's weird seeing you sitting there. Your big gray head blocking my view of the delicious bar tender," and with that she leaned her head to the side to shoot a wink at the decidedly young-looking man behind the counter.

Kakashi took a sip of his drink. "Well if no one told you, I was on a mission these past four years," he deadpanned, arching a brow at the brunette currently making lewd eyes towards the bar.

"She's not listening," Hayate supplied. "She does this every time."

"Enough about Anko and her exploits. Tell us about _yours_," Genma grinned.

Hayate's brows rose. "Oh? Haven't you been recovering this past week or so?"

"What man doesn't have the energy to rattle the head board!" Genma exclaimed, slapping a hand on his comrade's back. "This silver fox wasted no time upon his homecoming. So what happened, Hatake?"

Kakashi shrugged and took another drink of his beer. "She showed up with sake and we were up until dawn."

Genma whistled. "That Haruno's stamina is rather impressive from what I remember-"

Kakashi nearly broke his glass in his tight grip.

Genma felt the tension and laughed. "It was a _joke_, Kakashi."

Hayate, however, seemed impressed. "Wow. Sakura? Really? I've heard she's nearly impossible to bring home."

Kakashi wasn't sure he liked talking about his _former student_ in such a context. "She and Naruto came over to catch up," he revealed, earning a rather disappointed glare from the senbon-chewing Jounin. "Hey, it's not my fault your dirty head jumps to conclusions."

Anko decided to return to the conversation at hand, seeing as gossip was involved. "I heard that she only gives in to such temptations when she's away on missions. Not wanting to get involved with people at home and on her teams and all that garbage. I think it's quite noble of her, really. She fills her needs and lives her life. I say cheers to that!"

"Who can blame her for not wanting to get attached? That Uchiha really screwed her up."

Kakashi stood from the table. "I'm going home."

"Already? You barely had any of your drink!" Genma protested.

The Copy-Nin scowled and finished his full beer with impressive speed before leaving. In hindsight, he shouldn't have downed the entirety of the pint in approximately six seconds flat. He was feeling its effects soon after parting ways. His head was getting woozier and his steps less purposeful as he wandered down the road heading who-knows-where. He found himself at the bridge he often met his Genin team at, and leaned against the railing.

Moonlight lit the surface, but otherwise the lake was a sheet of blackness that rippled here and there. Kakashi pondered the idea of jumping in because that sounded so refreshing. He shrugged off his flak jacket and was in the midst of lifting the long-sleeved shirt he wore beneath it when a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Why do you keep insisting on flashing civilians?"

He lowered his shirt and offered an eye-crinkling smile at the medic approaching. Her hair appeared almost purple in the moonlight. "Ah, Sakura, just the woman I needed," Kakashi said cheerfully.

Judging by the stack of papers in her hands, she had just gotten off work. Sakura hesitated, eyeing him warily, before coming nearer. "And why do you need me, Kakashi?" She implored quietly, cautiously, unsure of just what the hell was happening.

Kakashi turned to her then, hip absently hitting the railing as he did so. "Make me better?" He asked so pitifully that the young woman laughed.

"What happened to you?" She grinned, deciding to help the man with the alcohol in his system. Setting down her pile of paperwork, she turned to the once again inebriated Hatake Kakashi. Green swathed one hand and she placed it over his toned middle, allowing her free hand to hold him steady.

"Genma," Kakashi mumbled into the sleeve of her tunic before leaning forward and resting his head on her shoulder, bracing himself with the railing for support.

The medic could feel his hot breath trickle through her fabric and she ignored it as best she could, instead focusing on the task at hand: sobering up her former sensei. "Ah, yes. Genma can be a handful," she agreed.

"He says you're a vixen," Kakashi prompted.

He could hear the smirk in her tone. "And?"

"Why does he say you're a vixen?" The Copy-Nin pressed.

Sakura laughed then and pushed Kakashi up so he could stand on his own. His balance improved, and he blinked at the realization that he felt a thousand times better. "What does it matter what Genma thinks of me?" She said with that tilted smile that Kakashi couldn't seem to forget, "You should draw your own conclusions. Do you think I'm a vixen?"

Kakashi scowled, thoughtful. "No. But I also didn't realize you're a Jounin, now."

"You heard, huh?" She appeared bemused.

"That bit of truth was also revealed by Genma."

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," Sakura admonished as she bent down to retrieve his flak jacket and her paperwork. "I don't recall you ever forming opinions based on rumors." The medic shrugged a single shoulder, and he could have sworn that devious glint in her eye was not a trick of the moonlight. "You always found things out for yourself. Why stop now?"

He simply stared at her, suddenly coherent mind trying its best to piece together her words.

Sakura smiled at his silence, "Good night, Kakashi."

Hatake Kakashi, in a state of sober mind, seriously contemplated jumping into the river.

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	2. Acquiescence

**author's note:**

I have to say, I adore these two. I hope you do, too! I'm not sure how long this will be. I also don't see myself updating every day. However, I don't believe this will be a particularly long story, as each chapter seems to be covering an advancement (albeit however slight) of Kakashi and Sakura's relationship. At least the chapters are somewhat long? Maybe? I feel like they are, anyways. I'd estimate this little fic to be about 5 chapters, depending on how it progresses. I hope you enjoy; let me know what you think! - _Lady Flick_

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**STUPEFIED**

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**Chapter 2**

**Acquiescence**

It took about two more weeks before the Copy-Nin was able to deal with the reality that Sakura had grown so much. Rather, that he was affected by her growth. And after another month or so, he simply stopped dwelling on the fact that she was a full-fledged, sake-drinking, Jounin-ranked woman, and decided to treat her as a comrade with whom, yes, he could occasionally flirt with. Because that was simply in the nature of close friends. Right? _Right?_ Genma said as much, and despite the precaution against listening to Genma ever, Kakashi found Sakura was rather fun to have around as an equal. It sure beat spending time with Anko.

Which was why, that particular weekend afternoon as he wandered the village, nose buried in his favorite series, Kakashi paused before the hospital and decided to drop in. The receptionist in the lobby greeted him with a smile. "Hatake-san, what brings you here?" She asked, voice a tad too sweet.

Kakashi returned her smile with the polite, eye-crinkling one of his own, and waved. "Just wanted to see if Sakura has time for lunch."

"She's very busy today," the receptionist said. "I'll let her know you dropped by."

Kakashi doubted she would, but he nodded his thanks and turned to leave-

"Kakashi?"

He spun around to see a vision of white and pink stepping out of an elevator.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, approaching the reception desk to drop off some paperwork. "Did you need something?"

The Copy-Nin shrugged. "Do I need a reason? Tsunade's not letting me leave the village for a solid three months. It's torture."

"It's a vacation," Sakura grinned. "I was just about to head out for a lunch break. Would you like to join?"

Kakashi glanced at the receptionist who was suddenly very busy with a phone call. "Sure."

Sakura's idea of a lunch break consisted of a pre-packed salad and bowl of fruit on a bench right outside the hospital. She was settled in her seat when she glanced back up at her old mentor. He stared at her dubiously, head tilted to the side. "What is it?" She asked, looking around. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," the Jounin declared. "Your idea of a lunch break. Come one, I'll get us some yakitori."

"I don't have _that_ long of a break!" Sakura protested, but he had already removed her salad and fruit from her lap and packed them up. "Kakashi, are you even listening?"

"Hmm? Yeah, yeah, sure. Come on."

She rolled her eyes. "Hatake Kakashi," she intoned, "I have precisely fifteen minutes to eat my lunch. You can either take it or leave it."

Kakashi looked back at her and shrugged. "Fine. Don't make dinner plans, then."

Without another word he disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

Sakura shook her head and couldn't seem to stop grinning the rest of the day.

.

.

The two of them sitting across from each other, having grilled meat and talking about particularly troublesome patients, or the old women making passes at the silver-haired Jounin, was as natural as breathing. Sakura's laugh was infectious, and Kakashi admired the way she tossed her head back, without a care in the world, enjoying the moment so fully.

"How do you do it, Sakura?" He asked then, watching her gain control of her amusement.

"How do I do what?"

"Suppress all that you know of the world and just...be so happy?"

Sakura watched him then, calculating, eyes curious and soft and _green_, before taking a sip of her tea. "Well, I suppose what I've learned from life as a shinobi is to find joy in the moments when you can."

Kakashi regarded her with a renewed interest and noted the pink dusting her forehead. "You are... something else," he said with such sincerity that the woman in question turned a deeper pink and avoided his gaze. He found some satisfaction in the fact that she was blushing because of him and wondered what he could do or say to bring that flush about again.

Dinner continued pleasantly enough and was followed by some drinks at the bar. Naruto joined them, along with Genma and Ino and other off-duty shinobi. It was so effortless, being together, catching up though they had been partaking in these get-togethers every weekend for the better part of two months.

"Tsunade-baa-sama is sending me on a mission tomorrow," Naruto declared with something like impatience. "About time, too! I'm dying to get out of this village for more than a few days."

"How long will you be gone?" Sakura asked out of sheer curiosity.

Genma however, took the opportunity to nudge her. "Why, you going to miss him?"

Sakura laughed and swatted his arm. "Of course I am, but not in the way you're suggesting, dirty old man."

"You wound me, Sakura," he said.

Ino laughed, sending the senbon-philiac a suggestive wink. "Dirty old men have the most experience," she teased, earning an appreciative smirk from the dark-haired Jounin.

"Ew guys, quit it," Naruto insisted, "I'm trying to enjoy my beer over here."

"As if you wouldn't enjoy seeing something perverted," Ino snapped. "You're always reading those dirty books."

"They have really good plot-lines!" Naruto defended.

Kakashi silently agreed.

Sakura, however, snorted into her drink. "And buxom, scantily-clad leading ladies."

No one could contest that.

The evening ended with the friends parting ways. Kakashi turned to leave when Sakura's voice stilled him.

"Is Ino right?"

Slowly, he turned to face the young woman whose hair turned lavender under the moonlight. "About what?"

Sakura visibly hesitated, before taking a step forward. He was within arm's reach of her, and her hand lifted, before dropping to her side. Strange. "About dirty old men," she clarified. She didn't seem to be too affected by the alcohol in her system, and despite how much or little they all drank, she would just metabolize it through her quickly, wouldn't she? Even so, she just barely swayed on her two feet.

Kakashi blinked slowly, recalling what the blonde had said earlier. "Theoretically, I suppose. But it'd be impossible to be certain without surveying all the dirty old men, wouldn't it?"

The medic hummed in contemplation, gaze washing over the silver-haired Jounin as if she was seeing him for the first time. "I suppose so."

Silence.

Akward.

Kakashi shifted, "Well..."

"And you?" Sakura persisted, taking another, albeit smaller, step forward. "Do you consider yourself a dirty old man?"

The air thinned around him; it was impossible to breathe. Kakashi remained still. "That depends: do you think I'm a dirty old man?"

"No," Sakura answered lightly. "You're not old at all."

Somehow, that made him swell up inside.

"But you do strike me as dirty," she admitted.

_You have no idea_. He cleared his throat. "Is that all, Sakura?"

She grinned then, eyes obviously amused. "I've got a mission, too. Leaving in a week."

"Oh?" Kakashi _really_ should be going.

"Yes. I need to seduce a dirty old man." She paused, then, with a small wave, turned to leave. "Goodnight, Kakashi."

He watched her walk away, both confused and frustrated by the fact that she had to seduce anyone at all. And why the hell had he held his breath for so long? Kakashi frowned, opting not to answer that question or even acknowledge it for that matter, and promptly retired to his apartment to take a long, cold shower.

.

.

The next morning Kakashi and Sakura saw Naruto off with his teammates. The air was dry, telling of winter, and Sakura was bundled in a coat and scarf. Kakashi eyed her acutely as she gave the blond a fierce hug and demanded that he come home in one piece.

Only when he was gone did Sakura turn to her silver-headed counterpart. "About last night," she began, but Kakashi waved a dismissive hand.

"What about it?"

Sakura grinned. "I meant it when I said you're not old," she finished.

Kakashi's brow rose, and he couldn't help the lopsided smile beneath his mask. "Oh? You weren't just sparing my feelings?"

The woman laughed and dug her hands into her coat pockets as they turned to enter the village. "You can't be older than what – thirty-four? Thirty-five?"

"_Twenty-nine_," Kakashi insisted, earning him a playful punch on the arm.

"Please, you've been twenty-nine since I was a Genin."

Kakashi chuckled, moving to bump against her side. "Astute, as always," he conceded. "My birthday was this past September," he revealed.

"Huh, you returned right after your birthday, didn't you?" Sakura realized, stopping to look at him. He shrugged. "We have four years of missed birthdays to celebrate," she asserted, offering that gut-twisting grin of hers he couldn't seem to get accustomed to.

"And what does that entail?" Kakashi dared to venture, decidedly looking anywhere but at her striking, heart-stopping, smile. _Hmm, the clouds are rather fluffy this morning..._

Sakura continued her pace, leading their way through the streets, and hummed in thought. "Four parties," she finally decided. "We'll need to wait for Naruto to get back, of course."

"Of course," he agreed, amused.

"You're going to need a new liver by the end of it," the medic laughed as she shoved him lightly to walk ahead.

"Sakura, you're going to be the death of me," he muttered, detecting the faint scent of cucumber and melon from her brief proximity.

She led them to a coffee shop, declaring it was far too early to begin work without some caffeine, and scowled when Kakashi insisted that he forgot his wallet – "Good for nothing leech." – before continuing on their way to the hospital.

"So thirty-five, huh?" Sakura mused idly, blowing on her coffee. "What's that feel like?"

Kakashi was never one to discuss age so openly, in fact he rarely discussed anything personal with anyone ever. But at this point, something as shallow as age seemed so impersonal that he merely shrugged. "The same as thirty-six does," he hinted.

Sakura laughed. "Wait. Thirty-_six_? I take it back, you are officially old-" she proceeded to trip over absolutely nothing and glared at the inconspicuous man whistling beside her.

"Enough about how ancient I am. Are you prepared for this mission of yours?" Kakashi asked, very carefully and casually changing the subject.

"Of course," was her simple reply. "It's not my first seduction mission, Kakashi," she added for no apparent reason.

_Except to infuriate you_, the Copy-Nin mentally growled. "Oh?" He said instead.

"Mhmm, I've done plenty. Oh, we're here. See you later?"

He moved through the motions of good-byes and catch-you-laters and waving and walking away, all with three words playing over and over in his mind:

I've done plenty.

I've done plenty.

_I've done plenty_.

.

.

BAM!

The doors burst open, startling a rather busy and furious Hokage. She glared at the intrusion. "What the hell do you want, Hatake?" She demanded, expression informing him of the fact that _it better be good_.

He met her gaze dead-on and cleared his throat: "Sakura is not fit for her upcoming mission. She is-" _Think, Kakashi, think- "_...depressed."

Tsunade blinked, processing the given information. "Depressed," she repeated looking at Kakashi through unamused eyes.

"Yes," he said, with conviction. "You should send the Yamanaka girl. Or the Hyuuga – I've heard she doesn't faint at the sight of Naruto anymore."

Tsunade massaged her temples. "What on earth gives you the impression that Sakura is depressed? She is of sound mental state to go on a mission. I evaluated her myself."

"Kakashi?" A soft voice came from behind him and he cringed.

"Ah, Sakura," Tsunade said, looking utterly cross. "Just the person I needed – come in, will you?"

Sakura did so, eyeing both her former mentors warily. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Are you depressed?"

The younger medic blanched. "What? No, why would you think that?"

Tsunade scowled, glancing back at the Copy-Nin who stood stock-still. Then it clicked. That damned silver-haired idiot. "Some patients mentioned a medic who seemed rather distracted at work and they insisted it was your name. Figures that they wouldn't recall your hair, it must not have been you. I just had to be certain. You may go."

Sakura bowed and, with a quick nod Kakashi's way, left to resume her duties.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, steepling her hands before her. "Well there we have it. She's fine."

"You're going to _trust_ her?"

"Are _you_ depressed, Hatake?" She studied him then, eyes narrowing.

"What? No, I-"

Tsunade pressed on. "Are you tired of your stay here in Konoha? You probably feel cooped up. Maybe a three month vacation is not something a shinobi like you desires." Rifling through some paper work, the Hokage found the folder and opened it up, scrawling something on the documents within. "You will hereby be offered a mission – one partner is actually incapacitated at the moment; I needed a new man to send. Do you accept?"

Time to get away from the village? He _was_ feeling restless.

"Aa, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade smirked. "Great. You will be accompanying one, Haruno Sakura, on her reconnaissance mission. You leave in a week. Report to me in five days for your mission scroll. That is all."

_Reconnaissance__?_

.

.

"Hey, partner."

Kakashi didn't bother glancing up from his present entertainment.

A body sat down beside him; he detected cucumber and melon. _How tranquil—Shut up, brain. What do you know?_ He coughed, "I'm busy, Sakura," he flipped a page, making a point to ignore her. "Bother me later."

The medic scoffed. "Don't pretend you don't enjoy my company. You tried to get me off my mission. Why?"

When he did look at her, he wished he hadn't. He expected to see hurt in her eyes, from distrust or whatever other nonsensical reason. That was what younger Sakura would have done. But he didn't see younger Sakura; she was older, wiser, and far more confusing. Instead, the woman was blank, nonchalant. When did she become so nonchalant?

Kakashi shrugged, lifting the novel to block his line of sight. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sakura expelled a breath and in his mind he wondered if she was scrunching up her nose as she often did when she was angry. "You're mad at me," she observed, eyeing her former mentor through keen eyes. And then, with amusement, "Why are you mad at _me_?"

Kakashi didn't answer, figuring she would simply take it as fact that he _was_ quite busy and to just _leave him be_. She didn't, of course. Instead, the young woman settled on the grass and stretched out with feline-grace, laying her head in her hands to stare up at the gray mass above them. A particularly blinding portion of the sky along the horizon was the only indication that the sun was setting.

The Copy-Nin sighed, arching a brow at the medic who just might have fallen asleep. She looked so damn peaceful, wrapped in layers and a warm scarf. She was paler than usual, or was it just cold? Maybe she was low on iron. "Sakura, what do you want?" He finally prompted.

Without even opening her eyes, she answered. "You wanted me off my assignment. Is it because you think I'm incapable?" -Ah, that insecurity was certainly reminiscent of the Sakura he knew long ago.- "Because I have to say: you're a load of bull."

"Excuse me?" Kakashi had to lower his book to address her.

Sakura sat up then, languid and suspicious. "You're such an ass. Gone for four years and you think you know everybody. Four years is a long time, Kakashi-" she paused then, reading the shock in his only exposed eye. "Do you really think I've improved so little?"

"No-"

"Or is it that you think I can't handle a seduction mission because I've already told you that this is far from my first one-"

"-Sakura." He brandished the authoritative tone he used only as a Jounin teacher. It had the desired effect: Sakura shut up. She watched him, mouth pursed together, eyes filled with the rant that went unsaid. Kakashi shut his novel and tucked it into his chest pocket. "If you've changed so much, why do you feel this need to prove yourself to me?"

She pondered his words, all the while meeting his gaze. Behind her eyes he could see the tantrum brewing, the tempest swirling, but she remained silent. He half expected her to lunge at him and pummel him with her her fists. Somehow, her silence was even worse. Eventually, Sakura stood and stormed away.

Kakashi watched her go. Had he been too harsh? He didn't think so. But perhaps now that the order of things was restored, he wouldn't have such infuriatingly confusing feelings regarding a pink-haired medic. And besides, she'd get over it. She'd have to. They were going on a mission together in a week.

Even so, he was well-aware of the woman's infamous temper and he doubted he would see much of her prior to their mission which was why, as he meandered down the street later that evening, he was surprised to see a kunai lodge itself in his path with a single note attached:

_Training Ground 3._

He chose to ignore it and continued on his way home.

.

.

Settled in bed with some tea and book, Kakashi was very much ready to retire for the night when a loud knock on the door drew his attention to the pesky young woman at his porch.

"_Kakashi!_"

Of course, he had sensed her chakra from blocks away; it was as if she purposefully emanated it so as to alert him of her arrival.

"Hatake Kakashi, I know you're in there, you dirty old man!"

So much for not being 'old.'

"Kakashi!"

He grunted and rolled out of bed, taking his time to walk down the hall and to the front door. Just as he opened it, Sakura's fist was about to knock, instead pounding against his bare chest. She withdrew it, red-faced and furious. Kakashi sighed and leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his torso. "Yes, Sakura?"

Lips parted, the young medic simply stared. There was a beat of silence where Kakashi wondered if she had been paralyzed, but Sakura scowled, fixing her (_brilliant_) gaze on his masked face. "You didn't come train with me," she accused in a manner that was in accordance with her Genin days.

"I had things to do," Kakashi answered flippantly, resting his temple against the door frame. "What is it that you want, Sakura?"

She closed her mouth and he could see the thoughts running behind her gaze. He took that moment to allow his eyes to take in the utter redness of her nose, the curve of her brows, and the dryness of her lips. In that instant, he forgot what she looked like as a young girl; the person standing before him, despite her rather childish temper, was clearly a grown woman. The fact that she took the time to compose herself before simply going off on a rant said as much. And so Kakashi waited.

Finally, Sakura spoke. "You asked me if I thought you were old," she said carefully. "I don't think you are, and that's the truth. But I feel like you see me as young. Do you?"

Kakashi frowned. "You _are_ young-"

"That's not what I meant and you know it," she cut in.

"Sakura. You're...what? Nineteen or something?"

"You _know_ I'm twenty-two."

"Nineteen, twenty-two, what's the difference?" Kakashi mused, straightening himself up to full stature. "It barely matters at that young of an age."

She stepped forward, sizing up the Copy-Nin. He was admittedly far taller than her, but the ferocity behind Sakura's presence was something to be reckoned with. "You act as though I'm twelve. You pretend that I'm fifteen. Well, I was eighteen when you left. _Eighteen_. You had no idea what I'd done. _Who_ I'd done-"

-Inappropriate thoughts came unbidden that the Copy-Nin forcibly buried deep, deep down in the crevices of his dirty, dirty mind-

"-and you dare go to Tsunade to say I'm not qualified for missions I've completed plenty of times in your absence?" Sakura poked him in the chest, fingertip freezing from the winter air. "You're not my sensei, and you haven't been in a long time. You have no right to interfere with my career."

Kakashi caught her hand; the warmth against her cool palm was startling and Sakura tensed. His lone dark eye peered down into her face, as if he was seeing through her. And then he dropped her hand and stepped back. "You're right," he conceded quietly. "I missed you maturing. Even at fifteen you were a child. Even now, fully grown, I see you as a child. I shouldn't protect you, anymore. You don't need it."

Sakura wasn't sure how to respond.

"With that said, there's nothing you can do to change the way I see you. You were my pupil once, and though we're equals now, I will always, _always_ consider you a student. A dear friend and ally, but always a former student. That's a bond that I can't forget or discard."

Silence.

"Alright, then," Sakura said tiredly, nipping at her lower lip. "Thank you for being honest with me."

"There is one thing I'm curious about," Kakashi admitted. "You told me you were going on a seduction mission." Had it not been for the mask, his lopsided smile would have been obvious. "Tsunade said it's reconnaissance."

Sakura grinned and his heart constricted at the sight of it. "Maybe I wanted you to think I'm a vixen," she said in a tone that did nothing to assuage the tightness in his chest. "Goodnight, Kakashi."

The door closed and Kakashi leaned back against it, cursing the heavens for having his former pupil grow up to be so...so...

"I need a drink," he grunted, pushing away from the door and making his way to the bedroom to tug on a shirt. It was still early, afterall. And he _was_ on vacation.

Ten minutes later found the silver-haired Jounin entering his usual pub. It didn't take long for him to spot his dark-haired friend at the bar chatting up a pretty girl. Genma's brows rose at the sight of the usually solitary Copy-Nin out on weeknight. Kakashi nodded in greeting before turning to the bartender. "Sake."

Eventually, Genma nudged his arm. "So what brings the infamous Hatake Kakashi out tonight? Usually I have to drag you to go anywhere."

Kakashi shrugged. "I really needed a drink."

"Cheers to that," the brunet responded.

They drank and talked as men do and Kakashi felt infinitely better when his mind was distracted from troubling thoughts pertaining to pink hair and pink lips and pink lashes. Genma informed Kakashi of the goings-on within the village: deaths, promotions, politics regarding other villages, and of course his sexual escapades. Kakashi listened, sharing very little information himself.

But as luck would have it, _she_ came in with her chatty friend and Kakashi regretted every decision he had ever made in his life; _why_ did the world hate him? She discarded her coat and hooked it on the back of her chair and she laughed at something the blonde gossip said. And she tucked a strand of pink behind her flushed ear and crossed a leg over the other. She was so womanly and lithe and _brilliant_ that Kakashi turned away.

Genma didn't seem to notice.

If Sakura saw him, she didn't wave.

But he found that throughout the night, his dark eyes wandered back to her table. There were two men sitting there, too. And neither were Naruto. They seemed to be on a double date – not that Kakashi cared, it was mere observation. And then one was kissing Ino's hand and Sakura laughed at something the other one said. She didn't toss her head back, though.

It was hot. Was it hot in there? Kakashi shrugged off his vest.

"Oh, look." Oh no. "If it isn't those lovely ladies."

Kakashi scowled. "Leave them alone, Genma. They're on dates."

Genma scoffed, "With those civilian boys? Please. Women like them need _men_, Hatake." And he went over towards the table to utterly steal Ino's attention. Kakashi remained at his stool and pretended not to notice Sakura's small wave of greeting.

It was futile, as she came over and claimed Genma's abandoned seat. "Yo," she said simply, not looking at him.

"Yo," Kakashi responded, taking a drink of his sake.

"I'm sorry I got so angry with you," Sakura began, to which her silver-haired counterpart shook his head in dismissal. She ignored it. "And I'm sorry I lied. I suppose I wanted to get a rise out of you somehow," she admitted sheepishly. "You always saw me as a child – I wondered what it'd be like if you saw me as a woman. I get it now, though," the medic continued, glancing over at his stoic face. "I think a part of me will always see you as my sensei."

Kakashi's grip tightened on his cup. "Why," he hesitated, finding the proper words. "Why did you want me to see you in a different way?" He ventured precariously, still refusing to look at her.

The medic hummed in thought, tapping her finger against her beer. "I suppose...I suppose it was because I never felt like I made an impression on the men around me. Naruto didn't see me any differently than he always had. None of my friends. I wanted to make someone see me in that way – as a _woman_. It's disappointing feeling like I'm an adult but not being seen as one."

She sounded so damn _sad_. Kakashi sighed and relented, turning towards her. "Sakura-" What could he say? "You're obviously a woman. Any idiot can see that. But consider our history. You were my student. It'd be...strange...for me to admit that I see you in any other kind of light. Does that make sense?"

"Are you saying that you've noticed I'm a woman now?" Sakura prompted, casually tracing the rim of her glass.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "What do _you_ think?"

She smiled then, straightening up on the stool. "Pervert," she teased.

The Copy-Nin pushed her off her seat.

It was far too easy to spend his time with her, and that wasn't news. Their banter was natural, and when he wasn't reminding himself to _look away_ from her pink, beer-moist lips, he found that he could suppress indecent thoughts and thoroughly enjoy her company. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was aware that the patrons around them were dwindling. Eventually the bar was closing and they left. He wasn't particularly drunk – was he drunk at all? - but there was a warmth in him that must have been alcohol-induced.

They walked until they reached a point where they would separate and Sakura paused, as if waiting for him to say something.

Taking his cue, he nodded - "Goodnight, Sakura." - before heading down the street to go home.

Her voice, soft and clear in the quiet of the night, stopped him. "Why did you go to Tsunade." It didn't sound like a question at all. "You thought my mission was to seduce the target. Why did you feel the need to go to Tsunade?"

Without turning around, the Copy-Nin answered, "I couldn't stand the idea of my former student doing that."

"I don't believe you," she revealed. When he didn't respond, she continued. "I_ am_ a woman now, you know," Sakura declared with all the confidence of someone who knew what she wanted. "And if I'm not mistaken, we were just on a date. And at the end of a date, women are typically given a goodnight kiss."

Kakashi turned to look at her, hands in his pockets. He toyed with the idea of acquiescing, wondering just where it might lead, but thought better of it. She was twenty-two, but still obviously naïve. She had no idea _what_ she wanted or what she asking. "Sakura, I didn't ask you out tonight. We were just friends who ran into each other at a bar."

"And if we weren't?" The woman prompted, breathless, or so it seemed.

"Then I would kiss you goodnight," he said quietly.

Sakura unwrapped her scarf from her face, revealing her chapped lips. "So pretend," she said gently, closing her eyes. "And I'll pretend, too."

He stared at her, standing there beneath the faint light of the street lamp, eyes closed and waiting for a kiss. Hands flexed and unflexed in his pockets as he teetered on the edge of a decision. Why was she baiting him? What did she want? What did she expect? Perhaps he was over-thinking this. What if she didn't expect anything but a kiss? What if she wanted something more? How drunk was she? How drunk was _he_?

Oh, fuck it.

He strode forward, lowered his mask, and hovered above her waiting mouth...then thought better of it. He sighed, "Goodnight, Sakura."

The warmth of his breath startled her and she opened her eyes but he was already gone.

Even so, she couldn't keep from smiling as she headed home, oblivious to the distant splash of a body jumping into a river.

.

.

**author's note:**

I love Kakashi. You can expect _much_ more tension and some steamy scenarios in the next chapter ;) I have to admit, I have such love for this fandom - but is this worth keeping up? I'm using it as a nice exercise to sharpen up my incredibly rusty writing chops and so I know the writing itself isn't top-notch (a brief scan of my many in-progress fics reminds me how far I've fallen ugh) but it's still rather fun. What do you think? Is there still love for this pairing?


	3. Ambivalence

**author's note:**

Hnngh~ 2am wow, when did it get to be past that? Hope I caught all the typos and what not; did my best, time for _sleep._

**.**

**.**

**STUPEFIED**

**.**

**Chapter 3**

**Ambivalence**

"Here are your mission scrolls," the Hokage said, sliding two objects across her desk. The shinobi before her nodded, reaching for their documents. "You will engage in a preliminary survey of the enemy – gather what information you can about the layout of their base. In this case, a mansion. You've heard of the kidnappings, yes?"

Sakura nodded, hand tightening about her mission scroll. "The disappearances of daughters from respectable civilian families throughout the villages in Fire Country."

"We believe it is tied to this man: Kawaguchi Sota. His base is located in Tea Country. We know nothing about him except that he is extremely wealthy and extremely greedy. Your only objective is to gather information about him and his operation." Her dark eyes flicked from one Jounin to the other, leaving no room for protest. "No one can know Konoha is involved with this: do you understand?"

The duo nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

Satisfied, Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "Good. You are dismissed."

.

.

It was your typical recon mission, nothing either nin hadn't done before. They even had a full day to get to the village in Tea Country – some little known industrial city that probably didn't belong in a land called 'Tea Country' in the first place and was hardly half a day's run with the use of chakra. Which was why, rather than rushing through the trees to their destination, the two shinobi who took their job _very_ seriously, saved their energy and strolled. Tsunade had granted them three days to accomplish their task, which all three knew was more than enough time for a nearby reconnaissance operation. Somehow, Kakashi had the impression that the Hokage expected them to do something with all those extra days but he couldn't figure out _what_.

As he walked slightly behind his teammate, he allowed his thoughts to wander to their encounter a few nights prior. She asked him to kiss her; was she really that drunk? Did she even remember it? Neither person brought it up, as if it had never happened. But the memory was so sharp in his mind that he couldn't shake it. If that was the only opportunity he could have had to do something so frivolous he'd hate himself, but under what circumstances would Sakura ever ask him to kiss her ever again?

Maybe it was a dream.

A really, really realistic dream.

"Kakashi?"

He blinked out of his thoughts and met his teammate's gleaming eyes. "Hm?"

"Did you hear me?" She intoned, amused. "I asked if you'd like to camp out here tonight. It's getting dark and I think we're a little over half way there."

How long had they been walking for? It was so strange to meander without exerting chakra – he could walk for miles and miles. His view behind Sakura was a nice, too. He might never admit it aloud, but there was no denying his utter attraction to her, as damning as it was for him. For as long as he'd known her, Sakura was off-limits; he never dared entertain any sordid thoughts regarding her. Particularly not since the last time he saw her she was _sixteen - Eighteen_, his mind corrected. Oh, same difference for a man in his thirties.

Kakashi cleared his throat then and nodded, shrugging off his pack - "Sure. Perfect." - and knelt on the ground, busying himself with unstrapping his tent. Sakura followed suit, procuring her sleeping bag. He made a point of avoiding her gaze as he slid the poles through the loops of canvas, hoisting up their shelter for the evening.

"I'll get some firewood," the medic intoned, peering over at her counterpart over her scarf. "Be back soon."

Kakashi grunted a response as he tossed his sleeping bag into the tent, entertaining the possibility of sleeping underneath the stars and chancing frost-bite.

It wasn't unheard of for teammates to share a tent, but Sakura had oh-so-conveniently lent her camping gear to Naruto for _his_ long mission since _he_ lost his tent down a waterfall. Whether or not Kakashi believed it didn't matter because Sakura had beamed and very cheerfully said that she could just sleep with him before continuing on her merry way.

He wondered if she was doing all that on purpose.

The woman returned with an armful of firewood and unloaded near the tent, moving to set up the sticks so as to produce the best fire. Kakashi watched her work from between the pages of his favorite book. If she was frustrated that he was allowing her to do all the work, she didn't mention it. In fact, she managed to get the fire going quicker than he anticipated. Sakura drew her hands together in a job well done and crouched by the heat, peering over at her companion.

"You've been awfully quiet," she noted, situating herself on the ground and relishing the fire's warmth.

Kakashi shrugged. "Have I?"

"Yes." Sakura affirmed. "Is something wrong?"

"What makes you say that?" The Copy-Nin asked pleasantly, turning a page. He heard her stand up, footsteps neared, and then that wonderfully seductive scent of cucumber and melons. When he lowered his book, she stood before him, hands on hips. "Is there something you need?"

She appeared on the brink of a tirade, but instead the young medic rattling about his mind shook her head and quite purposefully brushed past him to disappear into the tent, leaving the male Jounin acutely aware of the way her hair skimmed over his mask, the silhouette of her torso pressing against his upper arm. "Just hungry," Sakura sang from within, before emerging with some packs of instant ramen, bottles of water, and a pot. "I'll make us dinner," she said cheerfully.

When the noodles were done she served him a bowl and he took it pleasantly enough.

He was in the middle of enjoying his meal when Sakura threw a chopstick at him. He caught it with his own chopsticks, and sighed, setting down his bowl. "Is there something you want to discuss, Sakura?"

"I'm OK with the fact that you can't seem to bear to kiss me. I have no idea what made me even ask you to: the stars? The alcohol?" She waved a hand as if to swat away the train of thought. "And I'm OK with the fact that you'll never see me as more than student. But I thought we were at least friends," the medic accused.

The fire lit up her eyes in a way no other light could and Kakashi felt the desire to just shut her pretty little mouth with a kiss. He refrained, of course. He had an iron will. "I like to think we _are_ friends," was his response.

Sakura huffed. "We haven't had a proper conversation in four days. You've been avoiding me." With an irate sigh, the woman set down her empty bowl. "I'm not offended that you didn't kiss me," - Kakashi wondered if she still wanted one. - "but I miss talking to you."

The Copy-Nin raked a hand through his hair. "We're talking right now," he insisted.

"You're so immature," she stated frankly before standing from her place across the fire and, sleeping bag in tow, crawled into the tent. "Goodnight."

Kakashi shook his head, pretending he didn't notice her silhouette as she moved, the eyelash shadows drawn across her face, or the way her hair absorbed the moonlight. "Sakura," he called back, throat dry. When she didn't respond, he put out the fire and joined her in the tent. Had it not been for his Sharingan, he wouldn't have even seen her lying there. Her eyes were closed but he knew she was still awake. "Sakura."

"We have a long day, Kakashi. I suggest you go to sleep," she muttered.

He wiggled his way into his sleeping bag and stared at the canvas roof overhead. "So...how exactly did Naruto lose his tent?"

A pause, then an amused grumble. "Well, he was practicing a new trick in the river. I guess he wanted to be able to create a whirlpool and it just got seriously out of hand."

Kakashi inwardly admitted that he missed talking to Sakura, too.

.

.

They walked in companionable silence as they approached the Tea Country border; it certainly appeared that what little friendship they had built for themselves upon Kakashi's return to Konoha was restored. Sakura laughed and Kakashi silently wished that the world would stop being so damn cruel to an old man like himself, putting someone like _her_ in his life like that – but he just gave that crinkle-eyed smile and scratched the back of his head. As they neared the border, they masked their chakra and utilized simple measures to disguise their most obvious features:

Pink and silver hair.

Sakura tucked her locks up into a straw hat and Kakashi found a stick on the ground and properly hunched over, tossing a cloak over his backpack. The woman laughed when she saw him emerged, wearing a straw hat and donning a scarf over his face.

He waved his walking stick at her. "Quit staring, you ungrateful brat!"

Kakashi smirked at the sight of her leaning her head back to laugh.

.

.

The area they were in, referred to as Kawamura, consisted of remarkably tall buildings and particularly smog-filled air. A river ran along the border, separating Tea Counrty from the duo's homeland; it was obviously quite polluted. Identifying Kawaguchi's headquarters was simple: it was the solitary mansion along the peninsula.

Sakura strode through the rickety doors of an inn and approached the man at the desk. "Two rooms, please," she declared.

The fellow held up a finger, alerting her that he was busy. His nose was buried in a book, one whose bright orange jacket was all-too familiar. Finally, he glanced up and absolutely gaped at the sight of his customer. A smile sleazed across his face then, as he set the novel down and leaned an elbow on the counter. "My, my, has anyone ever told you you've got such green eyes?"

Sakura offered her most innocent of expressions. "Why no, not at all. I've been told my entire life that they're orange. Now, if you were half as good at your job as you are at discerning colors, then I might already be in a nice, comfy bed. Two rooms, please," she repeated.

Kakashi masked his laugh with a cough.

The man – Ryuu – scowled at her and didn't bother breaking eye-contact as he responded, "There's only one room available. Here." He handed her a key attached to a wooden panel. "Room 208. All yours, miss."

"Is it two beds, at least?"

"No."

"Can I request an extra cot-?"

Ryuu shook his head, looking utterly bothered. "Nope, all out – sorry. Do you want it or not?" He implored, obviously raised with neither patience nor tact.

"_Fine_," Sakura ground out, snatching the key from his outstretched hand and slapping money onto the counter. "Come on, grandpa," she called towards Kakashi who wobbled behind her, relying quite heavily on his walking stick.

Ryuu rolled his eyes at the inn's newest guests, grumbling about what he'd like to do to tame a girl like that, when a rather blunt object smacked him in the back of the head, forcing him to face-plant onto the reception desk. When he looked around for the culprit, he only caught a ratty cloak disappearing up the flight of stairs.

.

.

The room itself mirrored the state of the staff: sleazy, lazy, and offensive. A single bed, drawers, and closet were the only occupants – Sakura didn't even want to risk peeking into the bathroom. The walls were dirty, the paint peeling, and the ceiling fan didn't work. The woman sighed and trudged in, dropping her pack on the floor as she found a spot on the foot of the bed. "Let's just make quick work of this so we can get out of here," she declared, glancing over at her partner who was discarding his cloak.

"I don't imagine this will take very long," Kakashi mused, resting his trusty cane against the wall. He pulled out the mission scroll to review their objectives. "The only question is how we're to get inside the mansion in the first place." A rather distinct '_ahem_' drew his eyes to the lovely cotton-candy-haired woman on the bed who was giving him that grin of hers – the one he could never tear his gaze from.

Crossing one leg over the other, Sakura leaned back on her elbow, trailing her free hand down her thigh. "Seduction, of course."

Kakashi allowed himself to watch her fingers trace the counter of her thigh, dipping over the swell of her hips and into the valley of her waist, before clearing his throat and returning his gaze to the scroll. "Hmm..." he answered, disinterested. The Copy-Nin shifted to recline against the wall and pretended to be intensely reading the mission scroll, demanding the flashes of flesh on flesh, tangled pink strands, and strangled moans to remain buried deep, _deep_ in his mind.

"You don't think I can do it?" Came the young woman's retort and Kakashi opted to ignore her. His single dark eye read the words on the scroll rather intensely – at least, until the sound of bed springs and light foot steps let him know that the object of his very, _very_ dirty thoughts was approaching. He intensified his concentration on the scroll. It was to no avail, however, as Kakashi felt his personal space invaded. He lowered the scroll and stared straight into Sakura's blank, unreadable face. She inched nearer, toes touching his. "Admit it," the medic whispered, "you don't think I can do it."

Kakashi fought to keep his voice even despite his incredibly parched throat. "I think you can do anything you set your mind to," he answered dismissively, ever the proud mentor and supportive friend.

"Is that so?" Sakura hummed, quite interested in his mask, or rather, the way his mouth moved beneath it. Her fingers just barely brushed up his tunic, the pads leaving trails of fire along his torso, before she pressed them lightly along the edge of his jaw. "It's funny, ever since I was a little girl I've wondered at what you could be hiding behind this mask," the young woman said, more to herself than to the very tense Copy-Nin before her. "I always imagined you had giant lips, buck teeth – or no teeth! That'd be hilarious. Or maybe a hairy mole. But do you know what I think now?"

Kakashi parted his lips to speak, but she stole his voice as her fingers ghosted over his bottom lip.

"I think you have absolutely nothing to hide," Sakura confessed, "I think that what started as a game for some pesky little twelve-year-olds became something like an obsession. And I'm not really sure what I would do if I saw underneath the _underneath_." Her breath fanned across his chin. "But I've always wondered. What do you think would happen, Kakashi?"

The Copy-Nin watched her mouth move and reveled in the way his name was almost a prayer on her lips. He caught her wrist, the warmth from the contact drew both their attention to it. Without letting her go, Kakashi leaned closer, pressing his free hand into the wall behind him to refrain from gathering the infuriatingly tempting young medic against him. "Do you really want to end the game?" His voice was thick and hoarse and the way Sakura's eyes widened gave him some sort of satisfaction. "I think that you don't because it keeps us close. I think you enjoy wondering and imagining and maybe even fantasizing," he smirked beneath the mask, noting the redness creeping into the medic's cheeks. "And I think reality would never be able to live up to your imagination."

Sakura's breath hitched at his proximity, at the way his single dark eye saw directly into her core. His touch was gentle, but his hands were rough, and she found the disparity to be quite pleasant. "I don't think I could ever be disappointed with you," she confessed.

Kakashi's grip tightened just a fraction before he dropped her wrist and replaced his back firmly against the wall behind him. "Are you trying to seduce me, Sakura?" He asked quite plainly, at which the young woman's face broke into a Cheshire Grin.

"Ah! I thought I had you!" She laughed, tilting her head to the side. "You knew the whole time, didn't you?"

The man internalized a string of expletives and instead responded with a chuckle. "Can't fool me," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Sakura shook her head as she returned to the bed and fell back onto the mattress, staring up at the useless ceiling fan. "Well I obviously can't seduce anyone if I can't entice an old man. We can just do our covert thing and be in and out in a night," she suggested lazily, trying not to think about how dirty the sheets probably were.

Her partner coughed in agreement, ignoring the desire to let her know that she was more than capable of enticing anybody.

.

.

Getting onto private property was nothing new to the duo; they slunk under the cover of night, donned in dark garments. A dark beanie hid both noticeable heads of hair, leaving only diligent eyes exposed to the moonlight. Kakashi led the way, as per usual, checking and double checking the chakra signatures in the area before deciding to use a burst of his own to aid in scaling the far wall of the mansion. He knew Tea Country was not a shinobi territory, but it was never clear who hired shinobi to do their dirty work. So far, he didn't notice any particular power present – save for the chakra emanating from his partner.

As they paused on a ledge to listen near a closed window, they met eyes. It was easy to communicate without speaking; they had been doing it for years. Despite being apart for nearly half a decade, their chemistry was undeniable. Sakura pressed lithely crept further away from Kakashi to peer into a different, open window. The light from the room outlined her features as she peered in just enough to see someone rummaging through the bookshelves. Without turning around, she signaled to her commander: just a maid.

Kakashi lifted his slanted bandana, allowing the Sharingan to swirl into place and peer into the dark window he stood watch over. Empty. He fixed the cloth back over his scarred eye and clicked his tongue once to alert his subordinate. She lifted two fingers in the air and jerked them straight ahead, before tapping on her window pane to draw the maid nearer. The woman spun around in the room, eyes searching, before wandering towards the window. There was a smudge across the glass and she scowled – hadn't she _just_ cleaned that? The maid bounced over to the sill, only to be greeted by a swift hand at the base of her neck. Sakura caught her before she could collapse and slid through the open pane, tying up the bystander and keeping her in a closet for safe measure. Sakura moved across the width of the room peered into the hall. There appeared to be one or two maids bustling around, all It wouldn't be difficult to elude them, but it would certainly be a nuisance if there were more. Most people would be in bed at 1 in the morning, after all. When the coast was clear, she shut off the lights.

Kakashi waited for the light to flick off before following suit. He dropped in and very nearly fell right back out as he bumped against Sakura. She grabbed onto his shoulders to steady him and even under the cover of night he could _see_ the amusement in her eyes. He glared. What the hell was she doing standing so near to the window like that, anyhow? She knew he was going to follow after her!

"Careful there," she whispered, the grin in her voice. Perhaps her hold on him lasted a second too long, because suddenly she blinked and dropped her hands. "There are a few maids on this floor – probably every floor," Sakura reasoned. "But I don't sense any shinobi."

Kakashi didn't either. He nodded and strode to the door. It would be easy to cast a genjutsu to hide Sakura and himself as they explored the compound, but the chakra from it would alert potential enemies. No, better to play it safe and simply remain in the shadows – at least until they were certain no other ninja were around.

He motioned for Sakura to remain close and she appeared behind him at once, like a shadow. Together, they emerged from the study and wandered down the hall, making certain to avoid the maids wandering around as they tidied up the rooms. A staircase led them to the next floor down and they crept along the steps, foot-falls light and undetectable.

Kakashi made a mental map of the facility as they explored the dark mansion. Its décor was gaudy to say the least; paintings in extravagant frames adorned the walls, each flanked by wrought-iron sconces. For a man who oversaw what appeared to be Tea Country's own Industrial town, Kawaguchi Sato certainly loved the lavish extravagance of old.

It didn't appear as though Sato was expecting any visitors to be snooping about his affairs; the mansion was decisively empty of guards. Perhaps the businessman didn't have as many enemies as someone in his position should? _Or he took care of them all_, Kakashi wondered. Only when he felt a strange absence behind him did the Jounin glance over his shoulder to see nothing but shadows.

Sakura was staring at a painting on the wall. There was nothing particularly remarkable about it – it was a bowl of fruit sitting on a table. Even so, the medic stared at it as if deciphering a secret message. Kakashi nudged her to keep moving, but she held her ground. "There's something off about this," she whispered, near enough to breathe the words against his ear. "Just look at it. It's the only painting we've come across so far that wasn't of something grand. It's a bowl of fruit. It's frame isn't even that ornate."

Kakashi was about to tell her that sometimes a bowl of fruit was just a bowl of fruit when a door creaking open alerted them both and he grabbed her arm, tugging her against him as they all but melted into the nearest room, movements so silent that it seemed as though they moved _through_ the shut door. It was apparent that they had entered a bedroom – luckily the occupant was sound asleep. Sakura allowed her forehead to rest against Kakashi's chin at her relief. If she felt him stiffen, she said nothing. Kakashi, on the other hand, was hyper-aware of the faint smell of cucumber melon, the soft breath warming his neck, and the slim torso of the woman - _I__t's Sakura, Hatake. Get a hold of yourself_. - in his arm.

When no sound followed the earlier creak, they left the room just as swiftly and silently as they had entered and the Copy-Nin could breathe again.

Sakura, seemingly oblivious to her captain's discomfiture, resumed her perusal of the painting. She picked the frame off the wall, only to realize it was on a hinge, and behind it sat a small padlock safe. Her triumphant gaze Kakashi's way was enough to irritate all impure thoughts from the Copy-Nin; she could be so childish sometimes. Pulling out a stethoscope, the medic set to listening to the clicks of the lock, missing the combination the first few times. Kakashi meandered down the hall to keep watch as she did her work. Then the woman popped up beside him, a small silver key glinting in her palm. Whatever it was for, it was obviously something top-secret.

The team found their way to the first floor of the compound, having inspected every inch of the top two, along with the left and right wings. Their exploration served little purpose but to count the number of bathrooms Kawaguchi had, and they were about ready to call it a night and report that the base of operations was not in is home when Kakashi felt a creak beneath his step. He glanced down at the tile beneath his feet – the sound was precisely what he had heard earlier that night. How could tile possibly make that sound?

Sakura lifted two fingers to her mouth - "_Kai._" - and dispelled the genjutsu to reveal a wooden trap door with a small silver lock. They exchanged glances.

The key fit perfectly and, one by one, they disappeared down the passage way. Kakashi made sure to replace the genjutsu before continuing on. _Now_ they were getting somewhere. The basement was just as dark as the rest of the mansion, but it was bare of any decorations. Torches flickered along the corridor. A conversation floated down the stone walls and the Jounin tensed.

"She is from the Yoshiro family," one voice declared arrogantly. He sounded young and with far too much authority in his demeanor.

A second voice, far older, but with all the pomp as the previous speaker - "She is lovely, certainly. Is she pure?"

"You know all my girls are."

"How much?"

A pause, then, "10,000,000 ryo."

"I believe we have a deal, Kawaguchi-sama."

Sakura's hand fisted at her side and she took a single feral step towards the far room, when an arm swung around her waist to hold her back. Kakashi's mouth was at her ear before she could his a protest. "We're here to gather information only," he iterated firmly, only releasing her when he was certain she would comply. "The girls aren't here, we need to find them first." The woman scowled, but understood. "Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him," Kakashi added. "Let's go."

They left without a trace as to their entrance or presence at all.

.

.

"So we have our proof," Tsunade said sternly, regarding the Jounin before her with her unwavering copper gaze. "I expect your mission reports on my desk first thing in the morning," she ordered crisply, "You are dismissed."

"Shishou—what's the next step? We know Kawaguchi is kidnapping those girls and it seems as though he's running a brothel somewhere. Or worse," Sakura implored, staring down her mentor. "We have to act soon. Who knows what's happening to them-"

The Hokage, hands steepled before her, fixed her eyes on her apprentice. "Sakura," she barked, immediately silencing the younger medic. "We _will_ take care of it, don't worry. Now go get some sleep you look like a wreck."

Sakura scowled but nodded her reverence before leaving the office.

Kakashi followed her out. "She's right, you know," he said as they walked down the hall to the elevator. "You _do_ look like a wreck."

"Maybe it's because we traveled all night to return home," the young woman groused, giving her counterpart a ferocious glare that was far too similar to Tsunade's for Kakashi's liking. "Besides, you don't look so hot yourself," she admonished.

The Copy-Nin shrugged, fitting his hands into his pockets. "I don't particularly have a need to look otherwise," he said cheerfully. "The only women I hang around have all seen me at my very worst."

"You'll never find a nice girl to settle down with you with that attitude," Sakura commented wryly as the elevator doors parted.

Kakashi hummed in response, stepping into the small space, and leaned his head back along the cool metal wall. "What do I need one of those for? I've got my hang-over healer; what more is there?" He didn't miss the way Sakura grinned and he wondered what it was about his response that prompted it.

"One day I won't be around to help you endure those next mornings," the medic said playfully, "and then you'll wish you had found yourself a nice lady to take care of you."

The lift descended and, just as the doors opened to reveal hospital lobby, Kakashi inclined his head in her direction, single lazy eye unreadable. "You give all the care I need," he said, before leaving her alone in the elevator. "Later, Sakura."

.

.

Naruto returned from his week long mission three days early and Sakura set to planning four consecutive parties for their favorite Jounin teacher. Nevermind that Kakashi quite vehemently insisted that he had been _joking_ and that he really didn't need four parties. But the persistent medic waved her hand and all but threatened him to show up and enjoy it. So when the first evening came to celebrate his rather belated thirty-third birthday, he sighed before stepping foot into the admittedly large and spruced up abode of one – Umino Iruka.

There were balloons and streamers – _Does Sakura think I'm five?_ \- and of course his close friends and cake and drinks to go around. He enjoyed himself for the most part, that was until Anko got quite rowdy and all but threw herself at him. He deflected her with an easy side-step and inadvertently sent her into Iruka's surprised arms.

When the host and the snake woman mysteriously disappeared, Sakura declared that it was time to shuffle on out and that she'd better see them all the following evening for Kakashi's _thirty-fourth_ party.

She hung behind to help clean up Iruka's living room a bit, doing her best to ignore the rather amorous sounds emerging from the bedroom.

"That was fun," Kakashi voiced as he held out a giant garbage bag for her to stuff the streamers into.

The young woman smiled brightly, whatever makeup she wore for the evening smudging just barely beneath her eyes. "I'm glad," she answered, "a part of me thought you might not even come." She reached across the coffee table to stack cake-smeared paper plates.

"A part of me really didn't want to," the Copy-Nin confessed as she dropped the plates into the garbage bag. "But it was bearable – until Anko."

Sakura snorted, straightening up and fixing the birthday celebrant with a look of disbelief. "I'm sorry about that, OK? I thought you might want to get laid on your birthday."

"It's not my birthday," the man deadpanned.

"Details, details," Sakura said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"And even if I _wanted_ to get laid, I could find a willing partner myself, thanks," he sniffed.

The medic laughed, picking up plastic forks and party hats – yes there were party hats. "Oh, I'm sure, with all your charm and good-looks," and she gestured to his mask after dumping the party goodies into the trash bag, "that you would have no problem with that whatsoever." She crossed the room to pull the couches back to their original set up.

And then he was behind her, standing so near she felt the front of his vest against her biceps. "I assure you, _Sakura_, it's not that hard." Something in his voice had changed, the sake was seeping through, the huskiness from an evening of drinking, and the _intent_. She stiffened. "Let me get that for you," he continued, leaning forward and grabbing the backrest of the sofa to give it a swift tug. The movement trapped her between the piece of furniture and Kakashi's arms. "Anything else I can help you with?" He asked.

Sakura, unmoving, felt her fingers press into the fabric of the couch. There was something going on here and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. His arms flanked her and though she could easily move away, she didn't – something made her stay. Slowly, the medic turned around to face him. The look in his gray eye repeated his earlier prompt. _Was_ there anything else he could help her with?

The rhythmic thud-thud-thud from the far room coupled with cries of sheer pleasure made something thicken around them, and Sakura allowed her gaze to drop from his single visible eyes to his mask. "No, I—I think we can probably leave Iruka and Anko to their privacy," she whispered with little interest in her own response.

Kakashi didn't move and Sakura didn't mind.

A woman's moans met his ears and he briefly entertained the idea of what Sakura would sound like. What Sakura would taste like. Sake, perhaps? As that was the drink of the evening. Genma had insisted she was a vixen and he so sorely wanted to find out if it was true.

The front door burst open and Kakashi stepped away from her, hands in his pockets.

"Sakura-chan! I felt so bad leaving you behind with this mess—oh, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Yo," the Copy-Nin greeted, without a care in the world.

Sakura greeted the intruder with a nervous smile. "Thanks for coming back to help, Naruto, but everything's clean now." She pointedly avoided looking over at her former mentor who had found a remarkably interesting spot on the roof to stare at. "We should probably all go now," the young woman declared, "and leave Iruka to his privacy."

Naruto smirked at the implication. "They're going at it like rabbits, huh?"

Sakura promptly smacked him over the head.

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**author's note:**

I'm updating this like crazy - but blame my relatively free Thursday, Friday, Saturday schedule. You can expect majority of my updates to take place over that time frame :) That being said, I still have no idea where I'm going with this story. It's really more like _a day in the life of_... featuring Kakashi and Sakura. One Kakashi party down, three more to go. Wonder what'll happen next ;) Hope you enjoyed! And reviews are very much appreciated ~ _Lady Flick_


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